- Oskar’s Drum – ‘Blackouts’
It’s always nice to see that many criminally underrated talented artists from the past, who were thought to be lost, keep moving forward, despite any commercial recognition, still releasing beautiful fresh and exciting music.
Yves Altana was the guitarist of an early 90’s promising quartet from Oldham called Wonky Alice, they released one album and a couple of EP’s for the beautiful little Pomona Records. At the time I saw their gig at London’s ULU and I was hugely impressed, their sound was a mixture of indie pop and psychedelia with some post punk suggestions, they reminded me of The Teardrop Explodes at their best; unfortunately the musical press ‘destroyed’ them and they soon split up.
Patrick Fitzgerald is best known to be the leader and the vocalist of the cult Tooting’s trio Kitchens of Distinction, one of the brightest and precious British pop experiences ever, too peculiar and original to reach a wider audience.
When such a pair of talented musicians join forces for this new project called Oskar’s Drum, the outcome can only be quality.
Those bass lines…those guitar chords..that intriguing passionate voice, just amazing!
Time seems to stand still…
Oskar’s Drum’s upcoming debut album ‘A Cathedral of Hands‘ is set to be released on November 7.
Check out the video below.
Fabrizio Lusso
- Dronny Darko – ‘Endless Cave‘
Dronny Darko is back, this time he is diving back into the sinster malevolent forces of darkness which he showed a year ago in his Cryo Chamber debut. Prepare yourself for a trip into the void, where evil spirits lurk, dark priests conduct their rituals, and forlorn worshippers prostrate themselves before their dark deity. ‘Endless Cave‘ takes us deep into this dark place, to caves hidden from mankind, places where even the light fears to shine.
Michael Barnett
- Lea Porcelain – ‘Warsaw Street’
Hailing from Frankfurt, the pair met in 2012 and strengthened their friendship around the legendary Offenbach’s club Robert Johnson, each one with his own individual project: Julien Bracht was a talented electronic producer releasing material for eminent labels as Cocoon and Playhouse, while Markus Nikolaus released a solo album under the Cunt Cunt Chanel moniker and was a member of the band The Waves & Us signed by the NY label Wolf & Lamb.
When they decided to form Lea Porcelain around 2014, their debut single, ‘Similar Familiar’, was immediately a dazzling dark electro-post punk masterpiece, quite rightly one of the best ‘hidden treasure’ of past year.
In and out Berlin and London, the duo, after incessant touring around European festivals and venues, a couple of other excellent singles and debut EP, is finally going to release their debut full length.
‘Warsaw Street’, the first single taken from it, is another addictive masterly crafted blend of electronic beats, reverbed shoegaze distortions, post punk rhythms and evocative vocals, enthralling us in its emotional, melancholic cold atmosphere.
Enjoy the video above, a casual meeting at a Berlin gig between two kindred souls, meant to run into each other…like a metaphor for what usually happens between Lea Porcelain music and their fans?
Fabrizio Lusso
- Motorama – ‘By Your Side‘
Russia’a Motorama released their 4th full-length album on October 21, ‘Dialogues‘, via the always reliable Talitres label. After last week’s addictive ‘Tell Me‘, ‘By Your Side‘ reveals the poppier side of Motorama, with a catchy bassline, ethereal synths and an undeniably simplistic melody that may stick in our brain for weeks. Quick for the play button…
Christos Doukakis
- The Shins – ‘Dead Alive’
Summer is gone, but The Shins are back for good! Since 2012’s ‘Port Of Morrow‘, and while we wait for their new album, the beloved New Mexicans drop this extragalactic, ultra shiny, indie pop hymn…And as they declare on their official Facebook page: ‘A halloween gift while you wait for the album.’ Drop curtain…
Christos Doukakis
Compiled by Fabrizio Lusso, Michael Barnett & Christos Doukakis